Are accident and emergency attendances increasing?

Are accident and emergency attendances increasing?: Pressures on accident and emergency (A&E) departments hit the headlines last week, with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition trading statistics across the despatch box at Prime Minister’s Question Time. But what are the facts about A&E attendances?

Shingles jab for people in their 70s

Shingles jab for people in their 70s: People in their 70s across the UK will be routinely vaccinated against shingles from September 2013. BBC News

See also:

• OAPs to get shingles vaccinations in bid to end almost half of cases The Independent

Are we there yet? Models of medical leadership and their effectiveness: an exploratory study. Final report.

Are we there yet? Models of medical leadership and their effectiveness: an exploratory study. Final report.: This

report from the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham and The King’s Fund, and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), provides a comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the state of medical leadership in NHS trusts today.

• Full report
• Executive summary
• Slideset (by Chris Ham, one of the report authors, summarises the key findings)
• The King's Fund - blogs
• NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation programme - funded projects

A lottery of treatment and care: MS services across the UK

A lottery of treatment and care: MS services across the UK: This report highlights disparities across the UK in access to MS medicines, social care support, employment support and health professionals for people with MS. The findings are based on a survey last year asking people with MS what services they needed and to what extent those needs had been met over the previous 12 months. More than 10,500 adults responded – the largest ever survey of people with MS in the UK.

• Report
• Multiple Sclerosis Society - news

NHS errors 'deliberately hidden'

NHS errors 'deliberately hidden': The NHS has "failed" to hold anyone to account for a large scale financial mismanagement at a local trust, a damning report has concluded. The Daily Telegraph

Every child to get flu vaccine in bid to prevent epidemic

Every child to get flu vaccine in bid to prevent epidemic:
Every child in England and Wales will be vaccinated against flu each year to limit the spread of outbreaks, the Government will announce today. The Independent

New Anonymisation Standard for the publication of health and social care data becomes effective on 30 April 2013

New Anonymisation Standard for the publication of health and social care data becomes effective on 30 April 2013 The last day of April is the first day of a new Anonymisation Standard that applies to all organisations who publish information about publicly-commissioned health and social care activity and outcomes. Health & Social Care Information Centre

Parasite 'resistant to malaria drug'

Parasite 'resistant to malaria drug': New strains of the parasite that causes malaria are developing a resistance to the drug most widely used against the disease. BBC News

MS patients missing out on drugs

MS patients missing out on drugs: Drug treatments designed to help those with multiple sclerosis are being taken by only 40% of people eligible to take them, says an MS charity. BBC News

See also:

• Multiple sclerosis sufferers in ‘wrong’ areas denied drugs The Independent
• Most multiple sclerosis patients in UK 'receiving inadequate care' The Guardian

GPs face £200m funding loss

GPs face £200m funding loss: GP leaders fear more than £200m could be stripped from general practice in England next year under plans to equalise funding across GMS and PMS contracts. GP Online

NHS Hack Day presses for free wi-fi

NHS Hack Day presses for free wi-fi: Two thirds of clinicians believe that having access to wi-fi would improve patient care, the first results of an ongoing nationwide survey on wi-fi in hospitals have suggested. E-Health Insider

Scientists confirm transmission of influenza A H7N9 from birds to people

Scientists confirm transmission of influenza A H7N9 from birds to people:

Virus showing signs of mammal adaptation, raising possibility of person to person infection Related items from OnMedica Experts issue warning over bird flu resurgence Coronavirus can spread between people Controversial avian flu studies can be published UK population took fewest steps to prevent spread of swine flu Climate change may increase flu severity

Caldicott review: information governance in the health and care system

Caldicott review: information governance in the health and care system: Following a request from the Secretary of State for Health, Dame Fiona Caldicott carried out this independent review of information sharing to ensure
that there is an appropriate balance between the protection of patient information and the use and sharing of information to improve patient care.

• Review
• Department of Health - press release

Lack of communication across NHS is "completely shocking", says Health Secretary

Lack of communication across NHS is "completely shocking", says Health Secretary: The lack of communication across the NHS is "completely shocking", the Health Secretary said yesterday as he disclosed that 11 people died last year after being given the wrong medication. The Daily Telegraph

NHS counts £900 million cost of treating EU visitors

NHS counts £900 million cost of treating EU visitors: Britain has paid out more than £900 million to EU countries to cover the costs of ­ British patients who fell ill abroad - and received just £49 million back for NHS treatment of overseas visitors, according to new figures. The Daily Telegraph

Health and schools cash for defence

Health and schools cash for defence: Hundreds of millions of pounds will be taken from the ring-fenced budgets for health and education and used to protect the Armed Forces from a fresh round of spending cuts, under plans being drawn up in Whitehall. The Daily Telegraph

NHS 'ring fence' threatened by plan to help social care

NHS 'ring fence' threatened by plan to help social care:
Ministers are to effectively abandon their pledge to ring-fence NHS spending by diverting more than £1bn to cover the spiralling cost of social care, The Independent can disclose.

The real cancer killer: rip-off prices for drugs

The real cancer killer: rip-off prices for drugs:
An influential group of cancer experts has warned that the high prices charged by pharmaceutical companies for cancer drugs are effectively condemning patients to death. The Independent

KGH nurse suspended after man’s death

KGH nurse suspended after man’s death: A former Kettering General Hospital nurse who failed to summon a doctor when a 97-year-old man’s breathing raised concerns has been given a six-month suspension order. Evening Telegraph

Watchdog reprimands hospital for failure to meet performance targets

Watchdog reprimands hospital for failure to meet performance targets: Kettering General Hospital has been reprimanded by the watchdog for NHS trusts because of its failure to meet performance targets in accident and emergency waiting times and the hospital’s dealing of its finances. Evening Telegraph

Stand-in boss to leave Northampton General Hospital

Stand-in boss to leave Northampton General Hospital: The interim chief executive at NGH will leave the hospital in June. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Special measures after MRSA detected at Northampton General Hospital - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Special measures after MRSA detected at Northampton General Hospital - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Special measures after MRSA detected at Northampton General Hospital Northampton Chronicle & Echo A ward at Northampton General Hospital was put on special measures after MRSA was detected twice in one month. Board papers reveal action was taken on Creaton ward during March after the superbug was found on the skin of one patient in February and ... and more »

Heart surgery review 'cost over £8m'

Heart surgery review 'cost over £8m': A review of specialist heart surgery units for children has cost more than £8m, a Leeds MP has been told. BBC News

Doctors challenge A&E criticisms

Doctors challenge A&E criticisms: Doctors' leaders have said the government is promoting an "overly simplistic and inaccurate" picture of the current pressures facing hospital A&E departments. BBC News

See also:

• AUDIO: Hunt: A&E departments under pressure BBC News
• Trust 'worst for A&E 12-hour waits': BBC News
• A&E pressures are biggest challenge facing NHS, says Hunt The Guardian
• Crisis in A&E as soaring numbers of patients wait on trolleys The Daily Telegraph

Closed windows 'increase infection'

Closed windows 'increase infection': Keeping the windows open on traditional NHS wards can dramatically reduce the risk of infection, say researchers. BBC News

Commissioning: Can other laws protect GPs against section 75?

Commissioning: Can other laws protect GPs against section 75?: GPs fear the impact of competition rules, but might find lower-profile legislation can provide a counterbalance. Neil Roberts investigates GP Online

Privacy watchdogs back biting NHS

Privacy watchdogs back biting NHS: Well-known privacy campaigners have launched a new initiative to try and stop NHS England's GP Extraction Service in its tracks. E-Health Insider

Lords refuse to annul ‘competition’ clause in Health and Social Care Act

Lords refuse to annul ‘competition’ clause in Health and Social Care Act:

Fears of Monitor chasing CCGs over tendering are a ‘paranoid fantasy’ Related items from OnMedica GPs still left unsure over competition rules BMA demands withdrawal of competition rules Keep politics out of competition debate says Farrar DH stresses importance of localism in commissioning Act will force CCGs into expensive tendering See also: Bid to scrap NHS competition rules defeated in Lords vote GP Online

The measurement and monitoring of safety

The measurement and monitoring of safety: This framework highlights the following five dimensions, which the authors believe should be included in any safety and monitoring approach in order to give a comprehensive and rounded picture of an organisation’s safety: past harm; reliability; sensitivity to operations; anticipation and preparedness; integration and learning. The Health Foundation is seeking the thoughts and insights of a wide range of stakeholders – from those with a specialist role in patient safety, those involved in direct care delivery, patients and carers and the public in general. Deadline for responses is 1 July 2013.

• Report
• Summary
• The Health Foundation - publications

Rights, risks and responsibilities in service redesign for vulnerable groups

Rights, risks and responsibilities in service redesign for vulnerable groups: This publication from the RCN looks at the implications of service redesign – the potential loss and fragmentation of specialist knowledge, expertise and staff, and the consequent effect on delivery of high quality services for vulnerable groups such as children, older people and those with learning disabilities or mental health conditions. While aimed primarily at nurses working with vulnerable groups, the core principles identified may be helpful for any member going through a process of service redesign.

• Guidance
• RCN - publications

MMR catch-up campaign targets a million children

MMR catch-up campaign targets a million children: The MMR vaccine should be given to all unvaccinated schoolchildren aged from 10 to 16 as part of a national catch-up campaign, the government has announced.

This MMR vaccination catch-up campaign aims to prevent further measles outbreaks, following recent outbreaks in Wales.

Private data fears 'hindering progress' in NHS

Private data fears 'hindering progress' in NHS: Fears about whether the NHS can keep patients' records safe are preventing doctors and nurses from providing better care, a former health minister has claimed. The Daily Telegraph

Swansea measles case expected to hit 1,000 at weekend as 50 new cases emerge in last two days

Swansea measles case expected to hit 1,000 at weekend as 50 new cases emerge in last two days:
More than 50 new cases of measles have been identified in the last two days in the Swansea area with the total expected to reach 1,000 by the weekend. The Independent

See also:

• Graphic: everything you need to know about the measles outbreak The Daily Telegraph

Measles jab plan targets 1m children

Measles jab plan targets 1m children: One million schoolchildren in England are to be targeted by a measles vaccination plan aimed at curbing the growing threat of outbreaks.  BBC News

See also:

• NHS England urges parents to get their children vaccinated against measles NHS England
• Measles outbreak: In graphics BBC News
• VIDEO: Overcoming MMR vaccine fears BBC News
• Record measles outbreak triggers national jab campaign GP Online
• Measles outbreak: race to give a million children MMR jabs The Independent
• MMR vaccine 'only way to protect your child', says immunisation expert The Daily Telegraph
• The fight against measles The Daily Telegraph

Can we keep up with the demand for urgent and emergency care?

Can we keep up with the demand for urgent and emergency care?: The urgent and emergency care system is under severe pressure. Performance on a number of important indicators, including the four-hour wait and ambulance handover targets, is heading in the wrong direction. Demand is growing and calls for work to be shifted out of hospital look oddly out of line with a system that cannot even constrain, let alone reduce, the rate of increase in many places. Our recent study for NHS South of England raises some questions about the management of urgent and emergency care and identifies some important lessons.

Guidance: Managing Healthcare Fire Safety

Guidance: Managing Healthcare Fire Safety: Updated: This second edition of HTM 05-01updates the previous edition from 2006 and places more emphasis on the importance of training.

This guidance (HTM 05-01) sets out the Department of Health’s policy on fire safety in the NHS in England. It includes best practice guidance on management arrangements for fire safety.

Living a conjoined life

Living a conjoined life: How do two people inhabit one body and live life to the full? BBC News

GPs face funding cuts as PMS reviews continue

GPs face funding cuts as PMS reviews continue: Practices in parts of England could face funding cuts this year under PMS reviews, despite a commitment from NHS England to 'pause' changes ahead of a wider contract overhaul from 2014. GP Online

The Big EPR Debate: the first 100 comments

The Big EPR Debate: the first 100 comments: The NHS is once again being urged to adopt electronic patient records on an unfeasibly tight timescale. E-Health Insider

Frontline first: nursing on red alert

Frontline first: nursing on red alert: This report from the RCN has found that the number of district nurses in England fell by 39 per cent between 2002 and 2012, while preventable emergency admissions rose by 40 per cent over the same period. It identifies areas for improvement in order to avoid a nursing crisis in the future, including boards regularly monitoring up-to-date information on their workforce and greater investment in community and specialist nurses, who manage long-term conditions and reduce consultant appointments and hospital visits

• Report
• RCN - publications

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 and associated secondary legislation and guidance

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 and associated secondary legislation and guidance: This document is a summary of changes to secondary legislation as a consequence of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and is intended to highlight the relevant provisions.

• Summary
• Department of Health - publications

Commissioning health and social care for people with dementia

Commissioning health and social care for people with dementia: NICE has produced a guide for commissioners on dementia, which aims to help improve the commissioning of health and social care support for people with the condition, and for their carers.

How are hospital managers responding to the Francis report?

How are hospital managers responding to the Francis report?: NHS hospital managers have the most urgent need to change their ways, but are they taking the Francis report seriously?

Bird flu strain in China is ‘lethal’

Bird flu strain in China is ‘lethal’:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that a new strain of bird flu that has killed 22 people in China is “one of the most lethal” flu viruses so far, and that it is more easily transmittable from poultry to humans than an earlier strain that has killed hundreds around the world since 2003. The Independent

See also:

• Taiwan reports first bird flu case BBC News

Hospital hotels: patients to be cared for by family members under NHS cost-cutting plans

Hospital hotels: patients to be cared for by family members under NHS cost-cutting plans: Family members could be put in charge of caring for sick relatives in hospital if plans to roll out "patient hotels" get the green light. The Daily Telegraph

GPs blamed for crisis in out-of-hours health care

GPs blamed for crisis in out-of-hours health care: Failure of GPs to provide proper out-of-hours care has forced millions of extra patients to attend hospital A&E departments, where they do not get the medicines, checks or support they need, the Health Secretary will warn. The Daily Telegraph

Thousands of hospital patients may have died needlessly, says inquiry

Thousands of hospital patients may have died needlessly, says inquiry: Almost 3,000 people may have died unnecessarily in just one year at the 14 NHS trusts whose excessive mortality rates were reviewed in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire scandal, it emerged today. The Daily Telegraph

Martin Kemp opens Northampton brain injury unit

Martin Kemp opens Northampton brain injury unit: Popstar and former Eastender Martin Kemp has opened a new brain injury service in Northampton. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Peers to debate NHS 'privatisation'

Peers to debate NHS 'privatisation': The House of Lords is set to vote later on competition within the NHS in England, after Labour accused the government of bringing in "privatisation" at an "alarming pace". BBC News

Struggling hospitals 'lose patients'

Struggling hospitals 'lose patients': Patients are getting lost in UK hospitals because they are constantly being moved from ward to ward amid pressures on A&E units, nurses say. BBC News

See also:

• A&E patients sleeping in cupboards The Daily Telegraph
• A&E patients 'being left on trolleys in corridors' The Guardian

One in five GP practices non-compliant with CQC rules

One in five GP practices non-compliant with CQC rules: One in five GP practices in England are not fully compliant with CQC regulations, the watchdog has revealed. GP Online

Hunt reviews Payment By Results after CCGs call for abolition

Hunt reviews Payment By Results after CCGs call for abolition: Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has promised to review Payment by Results after commissioners called for it to be abolished and complained it rewarded activity rather than outcomes. GP Online

NHS 111 must be scrapped, say hundreds of doctors

NHS 111 must be scrapped, say hundreds of doctors: NHS 111, the government's controversial replacement for NHS Direct, must be permanently withdrawn, demand doctors Public Service

Another CSU collapses

Another CSU collapses: The Surrey and Sussex Commissioning Support Unit will close down and look for options to merge with other organisations. E-Health Insider

Health competition debate must focus on benefit to patients not entrenched political positions

Health competition debate must focus on benefit to patients not entrenched political positions: Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, says it is crucial that parliamentarians focus on what's right for patients in the debate on Section 75 regulations. NHS Confederation

Quality governance: how does a board know that its organisation is working effectively to improve patient care?

Quality governance: how does a board know that its organisation is working effectively to improve patient care?: This guidance is aimed at members of boards of NHS organisations to enable them to perform their role in improving health services for patients. It is designed for use across all types of NHS providers, including existing and aspirant NHS foundation trusts in the acute, specialist, ambulance, community and mental health sectors. It may also be of use to other staff in NHS bodies, such as senior management, operational, clinical and nursing staff and those working on internal, external and clinical audits.

• Guidance
• Monitor - publications

Who will hold NHS contractors like Serco to account? | Felicity Lawrence

Who will hold NHS contractors like Serco to account? | Felicity Lawrence: MPs have given Serco a roasting for 'lying and cheating', but the company is yet to suffer a penalty.

It's time to talk about mental health

It's time to talk about mental health: One in four people suffer mental health illness, making Norman Lamb's pledge to put this on par with physical health welcome.
In government, as in society, attitudes tend to change gradually, so health minister Norman Lamb's commitment to "prioritising mental health like never before, making sure that it sits on par with physical health" has come as a welcome step change to mental health professionals.

'Explosive growth' of Botox treatments putting public at risk, NHS review warns

'Explosive growth' of Botox treatments putting public at risk, NHS review warns:
Most people who undergo cosmetic procedures have no more protection than someone buying a toothbrush, according to an independent review which has proposed a range of new curbs on the industry. The Independent

See also:

• Calls for crackdown on cosmetic surgery The Daily Telegraph
• Anti-wrinkle treatments are a "crisis waiting to happen", review finds The Daily Telegraph
• Cosmetic surgery crackdown is needed, says NHS medical director The Guardian
• 'Cosmetic crisis' waiting to happen BBC News
• VIDEO: 'I get Botox on my lunch break BBC News

You can find the full Review of Regulations of Cosmetic Interventions and supporting research documents on the Inside Government site. 

Leeds General - a good or bad decision?

Leeds General - a good or bad decision?: Surgery at Leeds General Infirmary was recently suspended because data suggested there were safety problems. Martin Bromiley asks whether this was the right thing to do, and what we can learn from it. The Health Foundation

Is nurse training plan a stupid idea?

Is nurse training plan a stupid idea?: Why plans to shake up nursing training are proving controversial BBC News

Nurses 'warned off' whistle-blowing

Nurses 'warned off' whistle-blowing: Many nurses face bullying and being belittled when they try to whistle-blow, a survey suggests. BBC News

See also

• NHS 'culture of fear' stops nurses raising patient safety concerns The Guardian

Lessons from a decade of NHS commissioning

Lessons from a decade of NHS commissioning: A new NHS Confederation report distils learning from a decade of PCT commissioning for commissioners in the post-April 2013 NHS. NHS Confederation

There’s nothing more urgent than addressing demand for urgent care, argues Sue Harriman

There’s nothing more urgent than addressing demand for urgent care, argues Sue Harriman: The statistics surrounding our urgent care system are well known to us, but are nonetheless shocking. Emergency hospital admissions have increased by 37 per cent in the last 10 years. Nearly two thirds of people admitted to hospital are over 65 years old, and those over 85 account for one quarter of bed days. There … Continue reading » NHS Voices

GMC publishes first guide for patients on what to expect from their doctor

GMC publishes first guide for patients on what to expect from their doctor: A new guide for patients setting out what they should expect from their doctor has been published by the General Medical Council (GMC).

NHS leaders come together to pledge support for staff health and wellbeing

NHS leaders come together to pledge support for staff health and wellbeing:

New NHS chiefs will sign up to concerted action at dedicated summit Related items from OnMedica Several hundred GPs exit joint commercial ventures with Virgin Care BMA warns contract changes will damage care Commissioners and the voluntary sector Threat of prosecution could scupper transparency More than 500 GPs sign petition calling for NHS bill to be shelved

David Cameron hits back after nursing leaders raise major concerns over staffing levels and Government's plan to get trainee nurses working as healthcare assistants

David Cameron hits back after nursing leaders raise major concerns over staffing levels and Government's plan to get trainee nurses working as healthcare assistants: 
Three-quarters of hospital wards in England are operating with unsafe staffing levels at least once a month, a survey of nursing managers says today. The Independent

See also:

• Jeremy Hunt accuses Royal College of Nurses of putting its own interests above patient care as nursing leaders call Government reforms 'a really stupid idea The Independent
• David Cameron defends controversial nursing plans The Daily Telegraph
• Jeremy Hunt: Nursing union has questions to answer over Mid Staffs: The Daily Telegraph
• David Cameron defends nursing reforms – video The Guardian
• Cameron and Hunt hit back at RCN over nurse training reforms The Guardian

Ministers consider 'hospital hotels' for elderly patients to tackle bed-blocking on NHS wards

Ministers consider 'hospital hotels' for elderly patients to tackle bed-blocking on NHS wards:
The Government is considering the idea of “hospital hotels” where elderly patients can recover from illnesses or falls. The Independent

See also:

• 'Hospital hotels' for 30,000 elderly patients The Daily Telegraph
• NHS bosses examining plans to treat patients in 'health hotels' The Guardian

GP idea for hospital A&E department

GP idea for hospital A&E department: A family doctor could be appointed to work in a Northamptonshire accident and emergency department in a bid to free up resources. BBC Northamptonshire

NHS criticised for £500k ambulance fine threat - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS criticised for £500k ambulance fine threat - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS criticised for £500k ambulance fine threat Northampton Chronicle & Echo Papers published by NHS Northamptonshire warned that if the total fines reach £1 million “it will put EMAS in financial difficulty”. Moya McVicar, former chairman of the health group watchdog, LINk, said: “I find the situation crazy that an NHS body ... and more »

Nurses 'drowning in paperwork'

Nurses 'drowning in paperwork': Nurses are "drowning in a sea of paperwork" with more than a sixth of the working week taken up doing non-essential paperwork, a survey suggests. BBC News

See also

• Nursing staff facing paperwork overload The RCN
• NHS Confederation comments on RCN survey on bureaucracy
• Patients denied care as nurses fill in forms The Independent
• Nurses swamped by paperwork The Daily Telegraph
• Too busy for patients... nurses spend FIFTH of their time on paperwork The Daily Mail

Nurses brand reforms as 'stupid'

Nurses brand reforms as 'stupid': Nurses' leaders have branded parts of the government's plans to reform the profession as "stupid", at their annual conference. BBC News

See also:

• Nursing leaders raise major concerns over staffing levels and Government's plan to get trainee nurses working as healthcare assistants The Independent
• Hunt's nurse training plan is really stupid, says union leader The Daily Telegraph
• Nurses spare ministers from annual jeering The Guardian

Labour launching care commission

Labour launching care commission: Labour is to set up an independent commission to look at integrating health and social care, warning the health budget faces a £29bn shortfall by 2020. BBC News

Exclusive: Measles outbreak in London 'inevitable' as practices urged to prepare

Exclusive: Measles outbreak in London 'inevitable' as practices urged to prepare: LMCs have warned GPs in London to prepare for the 'inevitable' arrival of the measles outbreak in the capital and warned it could kill hundreds. GP Online

New guidance on the use of compromise agreements, confidentiality clauses, and the process for making severance payments

New guidance on the use of compromise agreements, confidentiality clauses, and the process for making severance payments: On 19 April 2013, the NHS Employers organisation published new guidance for employers to provide clarity around the use of compromise agreements and confidentiality clauses. NHS Employers

Cancer's hidden price tag: revealing the costs behind the illness

Cancer's hidden price tag: revealing the costs behind the illness: This research was commissioned in order to calculate the financial impacts of cancer, revealing just how hard the costs are hitting patients. It shows that  financial support is not always easy to access or good enough for cancer patients. The benefits system can be complex and difficult to understand. People are not always aware of the financial help available to them, such as free prescriptions.

• Report
• Macmillan - campaigns

The changing national role in health system governance: a case-based study of 11 European countries and Australia

The changing national role in health system governance: a case-based study of 11 European countries and Australia: This study of 12 countries, including England, provides an overview of recent changes in national governments’ role in the governance of health systems, focusing on efforts to reconfigure responsibilities for
health policy, regulation and management; the resultant policy priorities; and the initial impact. The shift in responsibilities shows little uniform direction: a number of countries have centralized certain areas of decision-making or regulation but decentralized others. The study reviews common trends, based on the country cases, and assesses potential future developments.

• Study
• WHO - publications

GlaxoSmithKline accused of paying rivals to delay generic medicine

GlaxoSmithKline accused of paying rivals to delay generic medicine: OFT launches investigation into allegations GSK abused market dominance to keep price of antidepressant drug Seroxat high.
GlaxoSmithKline could face a multimillion-pound fine over allegations it paid other drug companies to slow down production of cheaper versions of its most profitable antidepressant, burdening taxpayers with inflated costs for NHS medicines.

The 8,000 NHS staff on six figure salaries

The 8,000 NHS staff on six figure salaries: Almost 8,000 NHS hospital managers and consultants were paid six-figure salaries last year while nurses were "run ragged" because of dangerously low staffing levels. The Daily Telegraph

More women than men suffer heart disease

More women than men suffer heart disease: 
The stereotype of the overweight, unfit bloke as a heart attack in waiting masks a deadly fact. In fact, more young women suffer from cardiovascular problems than men, heart experts warn. Across the UK, there are 710,000 women, aged 16-44, living with heart disease compared to 570,000 men, according to British Heart Foundation (BHF) research. The Independent

Nurses concerned over staff levels

Nurses concerned over staff levels:
Three-quarters of hospital wards in England are operating with unsafe staffing levels at least once a month, a survey of nursing managers says today. The Independent

See also:

• Mandatory safe staffing levels urgently needed The RCN

Forging Community Partnerships to Improve Health Care: The Experience of Four Medicaid Managed Care Organizations

Forging Community Partnerships to Improve Health Care: The Experience of Four Medicaid Managed Care Organizations: This issue brief explores how four managed care organizations serving vulnerable populations are changing the way care is delivered by investing in a strong community presence. The Commonwealth Fund

Measles risk 'for million children'

Measles risk 'for million children': More than a million schoolchildren could be susceptible to measles due to the MMR vaccine scare, warn child health doctors in the UK. BBC News

Call for minimum nursing levels

Call for minimum nursing levels: Minimum nursing staffing levels are needed to protect hospital patients from the impact of cuts in the NHS, a leading health union says. BBC News

See also:

• NHS staffing levels risk another Mid Staffordshire-style scandal - report The Guardian

Cancer 'increases money worries'

Cancer 'increases money worries': Cancer patients in the UK can find their illness costs them hundreds of pounds a month, a charity has warned. BBC News

See also:

• The £570 per month ‘cancer tax’ that affects thousands The Independent

BMA calls on Lords to throw out 'section 75' commissioning rules

BMA calls on Lords to throw out 'section 75' commissioning rules: BMA leaders have called for controversial 'section 75' NHS commissioning regulations to be withdrawn. GP Online

Junior doctors "invisible" in NHS IT

Junior doctors ?invisible? in NHS IT: Dr Wai Keong Wong has called on NHS managers and suppliers to engage with "invisible" junior doctors, and recognise them as the real forgotten users of many hospital systems. E-Health Insider

Former NHS chief exec says Francis ‘let Government off the hook’

Former NHS chief exec says Francis ‘let Government off the hook’:

Report ‘has enabled politicians to indulge in characteristic evasion’ Related items from OnMedica Clinical teams need more power in hospitals NHS should give patients 'more clout' Francis calls for culture of care in NHS NHS staff face too much bureaucracy GMC stresses duty to report poor care

NICE publish dementia commissioning guide: practical advice for commissioners

NICE publish dementia commissioning guide: practical advice for commissioners: NICE have published a new guide to help commissioners provide evidence-based care for people with dementia. Providing care for our ageing population seems not to have been out of the news in recent years and rightly so, especially as the headline stories are frequently not positive. A recent Care Quality Commission report found that people [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

Raising standards, putting people first: our strategy for 2013 to 2016

Raising standards, putting people first: our strategy for 2013 to 2016: This strategy document outlines changes to the way that CQC will inspect and regulate services to make sure they provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care, and to encourage them to make improvements. The changes include: appointing chief inspectors of hospitals and social care and support; developing new fundamental standards of care; and publishing better information for the public, including ratings of services.

• Strategy
• Response to consultation on CQC strategy
• Human rights and equality assessment
• CQC - news

Community treatment orders 'don't reduce psychiatric readmissions'

Community treatment orders 'don't reduce psychiatric readmissions': "'Psychiatric Asbos' were an error says key advisor," The Independent reports. The news comes from new research examining the effectiveness of community treatment orders (CTOs), a legal measure that allows mental health teams to impose compulsory supervision on a patient after they have been discharged from an involuntary stay in hospital.

Mechanics find body in NHS mortuary van - The Independent

Mechanics find body in NHS mortuary van - The Independent:

Daily Mail

Mechanics find body in NHS mortuary van The Independent NHS Grampian is investigating the “serious incident”, which happened in Aberdeen. A porter took the vehicle to get a back light repaired but was unaware that a body was still inside. A spokeswoman for the health board said: “This is a very serious ... Shock as body found in NHS van at garageExpress.co.uk Worker axed after garage finds a body in NHS vanThe Scottish Sun Dead body found in back of van by mechanics after NHS worker takes it to ...Daily Mail The Times (subscription) -Herald Scotland -Mirror.co.uk all 12 news articles »

More than 1,200 people with a learning disability die of avoidable causes

More than 1,200 people with a learning disability die of avoidable causes: CCGs could play a key role in ending the health inequalities faced by people with a learning disability in the NHS
To date nearly 100 families have shared with us how they have been devastated by the death of a loved one with a learning disability, due to bad practice and neglect in the health service. Our reports Death by Indifference and 74 deaths and counting have concluded that this is a result of institutional discrimination in NHS services.

Homeopathy is nonsense, says new chief scientist

Homeopathy is nonsense, says new chief scientist: The NHS is spending millions of pounds every year on "nonsense" homoeopathic treatments which are not supported by a shred of evidence, the government's new chief scientist has said. The Daily Telegraph

Postcode lottery in cancer survival

Postcode lottery in cancer survival: Cancer patients face "wide and persistent" variations in survival rates depending on where they live, according to official statistics. The Daily Telegraph

Hospital's £30m wing ready to open

Hospital's £30m wing ready to open: A £30m wing is opening at a Northamptonshire hospital where a review of services became an issue at a by-election last year. BBC Northamptonshire

New survey rates Northampton’s hospital on same level as all other NHS trusts

New survey rates Northampton’s hospital on same level as all other NHS trusts: Northampton General Hospital has been rated on the same level as all other NHS trusts in England in a new survey. Chronicle and Echo

Seventh mental health death at Leicester Partnership NHS Trust - BBC News

Seventh mental health death at Leicester Partnership NHS Trust - BBC News:

BBC News

Seventh mental health death at Leicester Partnership NHS Trust BBC News A woman fell to her death from a Leicester multi-storey car park while in the care of a mental health unit, an inquest has heard. Dione Brennan, 25, walked out of the Bradgate Unit in May 2012, two weeks after giving birth to her son. She was one of ...

Scientist jailed for faking tests

Scientist jailed for faking tests: A scientist who faked research data for experimental anti-cancer drugs is the first person in the UK to be jailed under scientific safety laws. BBC News

See also:

• Scientist jailed for faking medicine test results The Daily Telegraph

NHS regulator wants 'swift change'

NHS regulator wants 'swift change': The troubled health and care regulator is promising "swift change" as it attempts to re-launch itself amid criticism of its performance. BBC News

MPs to investigate primary care role in emergency services

MPs to investigate primary care role in emergency services: MPs will investigate the role of primary care and community services in delivering emergency healthcare as part of a review that will also assess the chaotic roll-out of NHS 111. GP Online

Parents and employers could spy on patient data, warns watchdog

Parents and employers could spy on patient data, warns watchdog: Plans to place the medical records of NHS patients online are still raising privacy concerns. Public Service

NHS in numbers

NHS in numbers: This project aims to produce interactive charts which illustrate available NHS data in a clear and simple format. It aims to provide key facts and figures on the performance and funding of the NHS in England, and the other UK nations where comparable data is available.

• Interactive charts
• The Nuffield Trust - projects

Expected health benefits of additional evidence: principles, methods and application

Expected health benefits of additional evidence: principles, methods and application: This report demonstrates how making best use of the results of standard meta-analysis can directly inform the questions posed in research prioritisation and commissioning.

• Research paper
• Centre for Health Economics - news

Prostate cancer screening for older men 'unlikely'

Prostate cancer screening for older men 'unlikely': There is wide coverage of new research that argues that routine screening could reduce deaths from prostate cancer, with BBC News, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail all reporting the story. This controversial study is likely to reignite the debate about whether routine screening for prostate cancer does more harm than good.

Atos apologises to long-term sick wrongly assessed as fit for work

Atos apologises to long-term sick wrongly assessed as fit for work: Healthcare company 'takes complaints seriously' but says it only runs assessments and that decisions are made by the DWP.
The executive in charge of running medical assessments for benefits claims at Atos Healthcare has offered an apology to those long-term sick it has incorrectly assessed as being "fit for work".

By 2015, new NHS charges will be knocking at the door | Nicholas Timmins

By 2015, new NHS charges will be knocking at the door | Nicholas Timmins: With a flagging economy and rising demand for the NHS, any future government will have to look at new ways of funding it.
Malcolm Grant, chairman of the NHS Commissioning Board – now renamed NHS England – has just dropped a small bombshell into the debate about the future of the NHS.

Hospitals 'need doctor in charge'

Hospitals 'need doctor in charge': Every patient should have a doctor who is in charge of their care, to prevent another Mid Staffs disaster, head of report into NHS scandal claims. The Daily Telegraph

Breast implants court case: 5,000 women lift French trial to a scale never seen before

Breast implants court case: 5,000 women lift French trial to a scale never seen before:
Hundreds of women packed into a conference centre in Marseille for the trial of five men accused of flooding the world with faulty, and potentially dangerous, breast implants. The Independent

See also:

• France breast implants trial begins BBC News

Doctor warns against dementia screening

Doctor warns against dementia screening: The routine screening of all elderly patients for dementia would be a “disaster” as the stigma and anxiety caused by being diagnosed before symptoms appear could greatly outweigh any benefits, an expert  has warned. The Independent

Social media sites used to highlight domestic abuse

Social media sites used to highlight domestic abuse: Facebook and Twitter will be used by Northamptonshire Police in a campaign to raise awareness about domestic abuse, teenage relationship abuse and stalking. Evening Telegraph

Experiences of inpatient services in NHS hospitals

Experiences of inpatient services in NHS hospitals: These results originate from a survey that looked at the experiences of over 64,500 patients who were admitted to NHS hospitals in 2012. Between September 2012 and January 2013, 850 inpatients at participating NHS trusts were sent a survey asking about the care they received. The survey results have been published by trust. CQC

• Survey results
• Methodology
• CQC - news

Local Trust Results

• Northampton General Hospital
• Kettering General Hospital
• Kettering Hospital chief pleased with patient survey results Evening Telegraph

NHS England unveils ‘compassion’ plan

NHS England unveils ‘compassion’ plan: The plan, Compassion in Practice, will be subject to regular review.

Guidance: Identifying and Supporting Victims of Human Trafficking: Guidance for Health Staff

Guidance: Identifying and Supporting Victims of Human Trafficking: Guidance for Health Staff:

This publication is relevant to all kinds of healthcare settings, including A&E, primary care, sexual health services and genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics.

Measles epidemic cases rise to 765

Measles epidemic cases rise to 765: The number of cases in the Swansea measles epidemic reaches 765, as the UK health secretary urges parents in England to have their children vaccinated. BBC News

Is the NHS really untouchable?

Is the NHS really untouchable?: Why the public may have an appetite for radical change BBC News

Prostate cancer call over men in 40s

Prostate cancer call over men in 40s: Men should be offered a screening test for prostate cancer in their mid- to late-40s, researchers say. BBC News

See also:

• Prostate screening 'could detect half of potentially fatal cases' The Daily Telegraph

Domestic violence screening 'ineffective'

Domestic violence screening 'ineffective':

Routine screening and counselling in primary care does not improve women's quality of life, study claims Related items from OnMedica Domestic violence training for GP ups disclosure and referral rates RCGP urges action on domestic abuse Depression chart threatens doctor-patient rapport New GMC child protection guidance for doctors GPs have duty to protect abused vulnerable adults

Personal budgets and health: a review of the evidence

Personal budgets and health: a review of the evidence: This review collates evidence on various programmes in order to examine the case for investing further in personal health budgets. It incorporates the findings of the recently published final report of the evaluation of the personal health budget pilot in England.

• Report
• PRUComm - news

Fifty NHS trusts targeted in first wave of new inspections regime

Fifty NHS trusts targeted in first wave of new inspections regime: Five elite teams expected to be set up to carry out four-week probes under new strategy following Mid Staffs scandal.
Fifty NHS trusts that are giving cause for concern over care standards are to be targeted in the first wave of inspections led by the new chief inspector of hospitals who is to be appointed in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire scandal.

15% of patients dissatisfied with level of emotional support provided in hospital

15% of patients dissatisfied with level of emotional support provided in hospital:
Three in every 20 patients do not feel as though they get enough emotional support while they are in hospital, figures suggest. The Independent

Former 'heart tsar', Sir Roger Boyle, resigns over Leeds children's unit row

Former 'heart tsar', Sir Roger Boyle, resigns over Leeds children's unit row:
The Government’s former “heart tsar” and director of a national body that provided the “dodgy figures” which triggered surgery being halted at a children’s heart unit in Leeds has resigned. The Independent

See also:

• Senior doctor quits over Leeds child heart surgery row The Guardian

Fears for elderly bladder cancer patients

Fears for elderly bladder cancer patients: Experts have raised concerns that older bladder cancer patients are not being given treatments that could cure their disease. The Independent

Heart surgery suspension 'was right'

Heart surgery suspension 'was right': Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says it was right to temporarily suspend children's heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary. BBC News

'2m people unaware' of asthma risk

'2m people unaware' of asthma risk: Two million people in the UK may be unaware they are at risk of a potentially fatal asthma attack, according to the charity Asthma UK. BBC News

See also:

• http://www.asthma.org.uk/stopasthmadeaths Asthma UK

Further call for halt on NHS 111

Further call for halt on NHS 111: NHS Clinical Commissioners has called for a halt to the NHS 111 roll-out, saying there is a pressing need for issues to be resolved. E-Health Insider

Factors stopping the nation from getting back on its feet: a survey of the non-fatal burden of disease due to mental disorder

Factors stopping the nation from getting back on its feet: a survey of the non-fatal burden of disease due to mental disorder: In times of economic adversity, the health and well-being of a nation needs consideration in order to maximise the workforce and productivity. The number of people and the amount of time spent in an adverse health-state is a prominent driver of population ill health.  Most mental illnesses begin early and persist over a lifetime. Approximately [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

How should we pay for health care in future? Results of a deliberative event with the public

How should we pay for health care in future? Results of a deliberative event with the public: This report suggests that the public remain firmly wedded to the fundamental principles underpinning the NHS but under certain
circumstances could support the introduction of charges for some treatments and services. Based on two day-long events held with members of the public, participants were asked for their views on the NHS, the challenges it faces and how it is funded.

• Report
• Video content from the deliberative events
• The King's Fund - press release

A study to assess the impact of continuing professional development (CPD) on doctors’ performance and patient/service outcomes for the GMC

A study to assess the impact of continuing professional development (CPD) on doctors’ performance and patient/service outcomes for the GMC: This study was commissioned by the GMC and carried out by the
Academic Unit of Primary Care at the University of Sheffield. It examines the role of CPD for doctors and the wider impact of this for patients, colleagues and employers; the impact of CPD on performance and confidence; and how CPD may help doctors to stay engaged and strive towards excellence.

• Report
• Case studies
• GMC - publications

Foundation programme shadowing: payment arrangments 2013

Foundation programme shadowing: payment arrangments 2013: This guidance provides advice on payment arrangements for foundation programme shadowing. In consultation with Capsticks, the guidance advises on the most cost-efficient way for trusts to provide the required payment for the four-day shadowing period.

• Guidance
• NHS Employers - news

NHS chief says patients face more charges

NHS chief says patients face more charges: The NHS will have to charge patients for more of its services unless the economy recovers strongly, a senior health service manager has suggested. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The first steps to healthcare reform: what should we pay for? The Guardian

Scandal-hit Mid Staffs NHS trust placed into administration to ensure 'sustainable delivery' of services

Scandal-hit Mid Staffs NHS trust placed into administration to ensure 'sustainable delivery' of services:
The scandal-hit Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust is to become the first foundation trust in the country to be put into administration, regulators confirmed. The Independent

See also:

• Mid Staffs NHS foundation trust declared bankrupt The Guardian
• Administration for hospital trust BBC News

NHS 'not sharing doctor complaints'

NHS 'not sharing doctor complaints': Research by the BBC finds a number of NHS trusts are not referring details of poor care to the doctors' regulator. BBC News

Parkinson's discrimination revealed

Parkinson's discrimination revealed: Nearly half of the people with Parkinson's disease face regular discrimination, such as having their symptoms mistaken for drunkenness, research shows. BBC News

The Francis report mustn’t be neglected, says Michelle Mitchell

The Francis report mustn’t be neglected, says Michelle Mitchell: The pace of the news cycle may already have made the Francis report feel like yesterday’s news or a flash in the pan. But nothing could be further from the truth. We know that the issues of poor, undignified care and neglect that prompted the report are the cause for sober reflection among many people … Continue reading » NHS Voices

Skin cancer twice as bad as previous estimates

Skin cancer twice as bad as previous estimates:
Skin cancer is now nearly as prevalent as all other cancers put together, with more than 200,000 basal cell skin cancers treated with surgery a year. New research has found that, over the past decade, there has been an 80 per cent rise in cases of the skin cancer which are treated with surgery alone. But doctors who carried out the study warn that official government skin cancer figures seriously underestimate the true levels. With costs of treating each case of this form of skin cancer estimated at around £1,000, the financial burden to the NHS could be more than £200m a year. The Independent